2016 Election Sparks Fear in Voters

As confetti and tears of Bernie supporters fell on July 28th at the conclusion of the 2016 Democratic National Convention, Hillary Clinton stood victorious on a stage set for one of the most emotionally charged presidential elections.

Just one week prior, the official Republican nomination had been secured by Donald Trump in a black horse landslide, due to the lack of potential candidates remaining for the start of the RNC on July 18th.

Election season is traditionally a polarizing time, through the contrast of party and policy, but the 2016 campaign trail has left an atmosphere of personal ideology in its wake. As president Barack Obama said in Philadelphia on Sept. 13, “This is not the usual choice between parties or policy, left or right…This is a fundamental choice about who we are as a people,” and this may hold more truth than the usual political jargon.

This year’s unusual nature began with an equally unusual set of circumstances for each starkly different candidate.

Hillary Clinton has been in Washington’s political sphere for over 20 years.This began in 1993 as the First Lady, serving as New York’s first female senator from 2000 for eight years, and serving as Barack Obama’s Secretary of State after a narrow defeat for the 2008 Democratic nomination.

If Clinton epitomizes an established political figure, then Donald Trump represents the exact opposite. Developing his career through real-estate and television stardom, Trump just recently emerged into politics in 2015 with his presidential candidacy announcement.

Strangely enough, one of the few shared aspects between each candidate is the sentiment of fear that each imposes. Specifically, fear that this election may be a choice for the lesser evil.

In truth, supporters are not debased in their negative outlooks. The media-enveloping email scandal pertaining to national security that has tarnished the trust in Clinton alongside a lack of public transparency produced an unprecedented high 59% of Americans saying they “don’t think Clinton is honest and trustworthy” according to polls published in USA Today.

Similarly, Trump’s politically uncharacteristic rhetoric, refusal to release tax returns and clash with Republican party establishment has resulted in 61% of Americans saying they “don’t think Trump is honest and trustworthy” cited from the same USA Today poll.

However, supporter distrust may not even be the strongest emotion of the season when compared to the banter between candidates. On both the Clinton and Trump sides, publicity has been directed to demean the opposition.

From seemingly menial nicknames such as “Crooked Hillary”, to full blown advertising campaigns depicting “Two Americas,” the one with the opposition in the Oval Office “the same, but worse,” the American public is watching and feeding a negative cycle; and it is working.

Government teacher Tana Berrelleza said, “I predicted that if he [Trump] is still around by the general election… all Clinton will have to do is show commercial after commercial of him saying outlandish things”.

A New York Times poll average relays a close race: 44% in favor of Clinton and 42% supporting Trump. But, even more important is the aspects that the public looks for in each candidate. As of Sept. 18, Google Trends indicated that within the top three searches surrounding Donald Trump were not of policy or party but, “What did Trump say today,” and “What celebrities support Trump”. Similarly, “policies” ranks the lowest of the top five searches pertaining to Hillary Clinton.

In truth, the data reflects more about the emotions those voting than the candidates themselves. AP Government teacher Angela Gardner said, “The general population listened to the rhetoric from both parties and jumped on the bandwagon…I’m not so sure that people will be voting for a particular candidate, but that they will be voting against a candidate”.

The divide between presidential candidates has traditionally been polarizing, whether through party or plans. While the strife and scandal on both sides of this election has triggered one of the most controversial in recent history, voter’s divisive fears are ensuring an unpleasant near future.